Turning Olives Into Liquid Gold

Nick Wilkinson’s career reads like a manual on how to make it big in Africa. The chartered accountant CA(SA) turned olive-oil maker converted a neglected olive farm on the banks of the Breede River between Worcester and Robertson in the Western Cape into the farm which produces the multi-award-winning Rio Largo Olive Oil.

While studying for his articles on his way to becoming a chartered accountant, Wilkinson came to the realisation that the accounting path wasn’t for him. He stuck with it, though – something he is very happy about, as the qualification has opened many doors. After a year with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), he realised that he wasn’t cut out for that world.

The leap into corporate agricultural came when Wilkinson was appointed financial controller of a subsidiary of British Petroleum (BP) in Malawi. “This was a stepping stone into Africa. When my career reached a ceiling at BP, I was parachuted into agri-business for Lonrho in Malawi.

“My brief was to return ‘tired’ companies to profitability and they included tea and coffee estates and mixed farming operations – dairy, pigs, tobacco, and mixed cropping, the whole shooting match. These farming businesses were going nowhere, so it was a challenge. I became known as a trouble-shooter. My next postings were to Lonrho Cotton Africa to assist small-scale farming and cotton-ginning operations in Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.”

Wilkinson explains that his secret for turning near bankrupt operations into successful concerns is appointing the right teams, putting people in the right jobs, and having the right plan. He also advises that each person should get a reference point for how to do their job better, and that the team must follow moral principles.

One of Wilkinson’s proudest career moments was when he was recruited by the Commonwealth Development Company to fix the biggest single grain-producing estate in Sub-saharan Africa. “The business was technically insolvent, and with a great team of displaced Zimbabwean farmers we turned it around and sold it off in parts to international investors. This was the most rewarding challenge of all.”

After his farming forays in the continent, Wilkinson and his family decided to return to South Africa, as his daughters were planning on attending Stellenbosch University. He and his wife decided it was time to buy their own farm. And so, Rio Largo Olive Oil was born.

Rio Largo Olive Oil consistently wins local and international awards. “Winning Double Gold in the SA Olive Association competition came as a big surprise to me – and I think, the industry – in our first year, in 2010. This award signifies an oil of superior quality. We have subsequently won top honours across the globe in New York, Los Angeles, Italy, Dubai, and Japan.

“There was no way I could have competed on volume against a huge Spanish olive farm. So I decided to forget about chasing volumes and retail space and focus on quality and service – produce world class quality with high health benefits from earlier harvesting and lower yields. We made a good call installing a new Oliomio processing facility, custom designed by Giorgio Mori in Italy. This Italian wizard has direct access to our work in progress and provides expertise.”

Apart from producing award-winning olive oil, Rio Largo Olive Oil mentored Zikhona Tefu of o’live. She produces natural beauty products, including soap, born out of a need for a product which didn’t irritate her child’s eczema. Wilkinson’s wife, Brenda, introduced Zikhona to Westgro investment agency and supported her marketing efforts overseas. Rio Largo Olive Oil also assists in marketing Sarah Taylor’s Bee Balmy natural balms, as she only uses Rio Largo as her base oil in her products. The team also supports the Save the Rhino campaign with a specific product line. Wilkinson has also mentored farm workers and taught them computer skills to the extent that they are now able to run the processing plant unsupervised.

The Rio Largo Olive Oil success story is an inspiration for those who want to make their entrepreneurial mark.

For more information on Rio Largo Olive Oil, visit www.riolargo.co.za.